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What Causes Lack Of Appetite In A Child?

Posted on Tue, 19 Apr 2016

Question: Hi,
my son is 1.5 years old, having 11.8 kg weight. since last five days he has dramatically started to refuse food. He is still playful and active but not taking food. is it normal? since last week, he has been introduced milk with complan kesar badam. since last 3 days he is also refusing milk. kindly advise.

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (26 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Normal and common

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

I am happy about your son's weight. His weight is good. Refusal of food is temporary. This is actuallly a testing time for your patience.
Mix feeding with some other interesting activity like story telling. At this age children take at least 1 to 1andhalf hour for each meal. If you do not spend that much time you are more likely to complain.
He can carry on with milk and complan.
I also suggest a deworming if not done yet after one year completion.

Let me know any other bothering questions.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (21 minutes later)

how much should i offer him food? how many days this refusal will last? also suggest how to deworm my child

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (24 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
ZENTEL 200mg

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

There is no standard weightage that is recommended as an offering. You can offer any quantity till he refuses.
The refusal will last till the time the child is engaged into physical activity in the form of games, play.
Till few years back the kids were allowed to play outside their home till they feel hungry, unfortunately such characters and environments are not available now a days. Overfeeding, sedentary games, watching TV would not bring hunger in them.
You can give him 200mg / 5 ml of ZENTEL pediatric syrup as one dose for him, same dose after 15 more days.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (22 hours later)

visited doctor today. he told that baby is healthy. There is slight throat infection and prescribed Bandy Plus, Zavox, Lact 100 tab. the main problem with my child is he just vomit the alopathic medicine always. I therefore always give him homeopathic medicine. please suggest any alternate to get rid off this problem and also suggest any medicine of low quantity or taste less for throat infection/ sore troat.

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Bandy plus

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Bandy Plus is nothing but Zentel which I mentioned. You just try to give him this mixing in a glass of water so that he does not know if it has medicine.
The other medicines can be tried with a needle less syringe. take a new 5ml syringe without needle and fill the dose in it by suction. Hold the baby and gush out the contents in the throat so that he cannot vomit.
If you are successful you can continue if not please leave out all other medicines except BANDY PLUS.

Continue my other tips. Take the 'patience' tip seriously and work on it.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (5 days later)

my 1.5 years old child had started to take food 2 days ago and was playful, but yesterday when he woke up he was not feeling well and started again to refuse food. when I tried to give him food he vomited and in afternoon he had got fever of 101. I had given him Ibugesic Plus 5 ml. fever down in the evening, I tried again to give him food in the evening bt he refused and vomited. In the late night he got again fever of 102, I again give him Ibugesic Plus 5 ml, fever down bt at 4 o,clock he again vomited. He did not take food since yesterday and on breastfeeding till now. He is taking water as usual and breastfeed. I gave him bath today and he is sleeping. Kindly suggest what to do. Is anything serious?

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (7 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
gut infection

Detailed Answer:
Your kid seems to have aquired a gut infection. The reason for vomiting and not accepting food.
I suggest a chest examination with a stethescope and also skin turgor to see if he dehydrating as well.
Kindly see to his Pediatrician now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (3 hours later)

Visited pediatrician today. He checked the baby and told that he is not feeling well, hence avoiding food. Advised following medicine and plenty of fluid.

Syp Sensiclav DS - 2.5 ml BD
Tab Cepodem 100 - 1/2 BD
Tab Floral - 1/2 BD
Syp Flygyl - 5 ml BD
Tab Isonid(cough cold) - 1/2 BD
Syp Calpol - 7.5 ml
Nasivion drop

My child will not be able to take so many medicine as advised above. Kindly suggest. Main problem is fever and refusal of food.

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Find another Pediatrician.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

If the doctor feels that there is an infection, you need basic antibiotic medication and fever medicine only. Yes he is right about ample amount of water. You can go for Lactogen and Cerelac meantime.

I suggest Sy SENSICLAV DS for 5 days and Syr CALPOL three times a day for first two days and from then only if the fever is over 100. Eliminate others.
You can start Tab FLORA 1/2 tab twice a day after stopping SENSICLAV.

Rest you do not need to start. I think you should find another pediatrician who can treat sensibly and not load with so many medications.

regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Naveen Kumar

Follow up: Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (13 hours later)

I visited homepathic practitioner he gave the medicine which worked. The fever down. The child started to play and took good sleep last night. Wokeup in good mood but still not taking food and is on breast feed. he is taking water in gud amount. 50 ml cow milk with complan also taken and now sleeping. The homeopatic practioner told to deworm after he gets well. He told that worms are causing vomit and food refusal. Should I continue with homeopathic or otherwise? food refussal is still a big problem before us. Kindly advise.

Answered by Dr. V. N. S. Parinam (32 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Pick easy digestible food and easily chewable ones

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Food refusal is common during acute illness it takes time before appetite resumes. If refusal is the only problem you can seek Homeopathic doctor medicine for it.
Otherwise I think deworming should have already done by now. That is the only thing pending.
Cow milk and complan shall do but increase the frequency. Sometimes add cornflakes and sometimes bread to it.
Think of very easily digestible food even rice water, barley are excellent sources for carbohydrate and protein. Protein for good recovery and carbo for daily calories.

All the best.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar